Slave to Maid?
by kouhaixsempai
Summary: Life for Annie Cresta has been anything but peaceful. She's lost her parents, sold into slavery, and now her only saving grace was being saved by a lady named Mags. But suffering from hysteria, anxiety and the voices in her head, will anything ever go right for Annie with a master like the daring and handsome Finnick Odair? (Pairing: Finnick/Annie, Odesta) AU
1. A Day With Annie Cresta

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hunger Games. :(**

**Authors Note: **

**Hello! This is my first Hunger Games fic. And its an AU focusing on Finnick and Annie. There will be side pairings. I haven't finalized those yet, but I'm leaning towards Katniss/Cato, Clove/Peeta, Haymitch/Effie. But these aren't final yet. It would depend on how the story plays out I guess. **

**This is an AU that focuses on the timeline of mid-1800's kind of thing. Hopefully I'll be working around that. Kindly review and tell me what you think. :)))) Thank you. I hope u guys like it. Please review and tell me what you think. **

**A Day with Annie Cresta **

A lithe girl with her flowing brown hair , and beautiful sea green eyes, walked the halls briskly, making her way to her master's bedroom. Every morning, said girl was tasked to bring breakfast to her master's room, which she had done on routine the moment she was tasked to do so. That started about a week ago, when she was rescued, albeit surprisingly, and brought where she was now. Her name is Annabel Cresta, better known to her friends as, Annie.

Annie did her job as she was told, after all, she was grateful to these people for saving her from _that life. _She shuddered with just the thought of it, and continued to walk towards her destination. If Annie were to be truthful to herself, she would have wanted nothing more than to have another job around the house, or rather, mansion. But beggars couldn't be choosers, and she accepted whatever it was the was given to her. She started a week ago, and on routine, she had decided to do her job on the clock. She found out about his daily schedule, including what time he woke and was out of the house. Annie then decided that she would deliver breakfast minutes before he would wake.

And so, for the past week, her day began as follows. She would wake early around 6am, commence with housework, prepare the meal, and deliver it to her master's bedroom roughly before 8am, placing it by his bedside. She noted on her first day that he tended to wake up around that time, so she followed her schedule as it is, so that once he was awake, he would have his meal by his bedside still warm and she would be gone and out his bedroom door. Unfortunately for her, she slept in this morning, and by the time she was done making the meal it was already past eight. Annie shuddered and chanted in her head "Everything is fine. I'm fine." She stood by the door of the room and asked herself quietly "How did I end up like this?"

**~Flashback~**

_Annie was seven years old when she was left on the streets to fend for herself. Life wasn't too kind towards her and her family, and with the fall of certain parts of the economy hit their small town, it was no surprise that her not so wealthy family had begun to scavenge for funds to afford life's daily necessities. Small town businesses had begun to crash and burn and there was difficulty in living in general. And to make matters worse, the economic fall was followed immediately by the rise of the Cholera Epidemic. _

_The sickness had killed dozens in her small town, and it wasn't long before her parents caught it too. Once her parents had passed away, she was declared an orphan and had to find out how to survive on her own. Annie didn't know any relatives that would have been willing to take her in, so she had tried her best to survive on the streets for a couple of days. That was until, that one evening when she was barely scraping for food that someone had grabbed hold of her shoulder. _

_Annie immediately turned around to look at who had touched her, and saw a beautiful woman with blond hair and hazel eyes. "W-who are you?" she asked, frightened. _

_The woman smiled and knelt in front of young, small Annie. "Hello there young one. My name is Maysilee Donner. May I know your name dear?" she asked kindly. _

_Annie fiddled with the worn out clothes that she had been wearing for days, her shyness showing immediately towards the stranger. "I'm Annabel. But, my mommy and daddy call me Annie." _

"_Well hello there Annie. Can I ask you were your mommy and daddy are?" Asked Maysilee, although she already had a thought that she knew where Annie's parents were, or rather, where they weren't. _

_Annie's small stature immediately began shaking, and pools of tears began to form in her eyes. "They're gone." was all she said. _

_Maysilee reached out to the child. She was here alone on the streets, she was alone and lonely, and she guessed that she had no other relatives to take her in either. She reached out and took Annie's small hands into her own and asked "Annie, can I ask you to trust me?" _

_Annie blinked for a few minutes, seeming stunned. "But, mommy and daddy always told me not to speak with strangers..." _

"_I know sweetie, but I promise you that I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to help." Maysilee promised the small child in front of her, hoping Annie would allow her to help._

_Young, small Annie seemed to think on the offer. And, as her young heart allowed her, she decided to trust this woman. "Okay." she looked over at Maysilee and gave her a small nod and tried her best to muster a smile. _

_Maysilee held her hand out to the little girl in front of her, and slowly Annie reached out to clasp her small hand with hers. "Hold on to me now. I wouldn't want you to get lost on the way." She said with a smile. _

"_Okay, Miss .lee?" said Annie. She looked up at Maysilee, apologizing silently for not being able to immediately properly pronounce her name. _

_Said lady just smiled at the little girl and continued to walk along the town. Soon enough, the two of them reached a two story house. As they reached the front doors, Maysilee felt Annie hesitate and halt her steps. _

"_Something wrong sweetie?" asked Maysilee. _

_Little Annie scrunched up her nose as he looked over the house. "Do you live here?" she asked._

"_Yes, I do. I brought you here, hoping that maybe you would want to live with me?" asked Maysilee. She watched as the little girl's eyes widened with surprise. "I know that this may be a surprise to you Annie, but you don't have to worry. No one is going to hurt you here." _

_Annie looked up at the woman and asked "But why? Why help me?" she asked in a small voice. _

_Maysilee simply offered a sad smile. "I know that you may not have a home to go back to Annie, and I'd like to offer you one. That's all I'd like. I wouldn't want you to go back on the streets dear. And there are other kids inside just like you, and I also have a niece that's younger than you, but she's a sweet girl."_

_Annie digested this information and asked again "Do you take many kids with you? Do you give them all a home?" _

"_What a curious child you are." Maysilee said with a small chuckle. "Unfortunately no. I can't rescue every child I see on the streets. But I try. There are currently four little girls inside, and I'm sure they would love to meet you." _

"_You really want me to come stay with you?" asked Annie quietly. Maysilee just found the little girl absolutely adorable. _

"_Of course!" she said with confidence. "And one day, when you're old enough to leave, then I would let you. But for the meantime, I'd like to give you a home and a place where you can come back to. So, would you like to stay here with me Annie?" _

_Annie started to tear up. She was being given a chance. "Y-yes please." _

_And with that, Annie had come to live with the lady known as Maysilee Donner. She came into the house and was immediately acquainted with the other children. The Everdeen sisters: Katniss and Primrose, a little brunette girl named Clove, and Maysilee's niece Madge Undersee. Annie had taken some time to adjust around the house and still remained rather shy and reserved but had opened up to the people around her, and eventually she learned that these children too had lost their parents through some series of unfortunate events. _

_~4 years from prior from current events~_

_Now, Annie was at a rough age of 16, and happy with her life. She began to learn little tricks and trades of her own. With the economic downfall that happened nine years ago, the town had decided to utilize their surroundings. The town wasn't far off from the seashore thus fishing soon became a thriving industry. Thus, Annie decided to help Maysilee by making nets for the local fishermen. This helped in earning them a little income at a time. Katniss had decided to help with hunting, along with Clove. And Primrose, or Prim, had wanted to immerse herself in medicine and animal care. And lastly, Madge helped out around the house and ran errands for her aunt. For that moment, everything was perfect. But, it seemed life was against the lasting peace. One night..._

_Annie was walking back home, she just finished exchanging her nets at the port by the seaside. She smiled to herself as she continued to walk towards home. As she turned the corner heading to the next street, someone grabbed her neck and she felt an immediate sensation of pain after a blunt object struck her head, and she passed out. Annie felt herself moving, and heard the waves crashing around her. One thing she could have ascertained herself of, she was on a boat._

"_She'd be worth a high price. A beauty like that." was the first thing she heard when she began to regain consciousness._

"_Looks like she's wakin' up aye?" she felt someone pull her up by the binds she was in, and was tugged forward. What she saw were two strange men,both large and full of scars. Immediately her blood ran cold. Where were these men taking her? _

"_What are you going to do with me?" she asked, he voice shaking. _

"_Seems like we made a smart catch. She looks mighty innocent, the boss'd pay a high price for someone like her." said one. _

_Annie didn't know what the man had meant at the time, but it didn't take long for her to put two and two together to find out. These men were slave traders, they sold children and teens to any buyer that would pay the price, and she was today's unlucky catch. Annie thought she knew what fear was. Having lost her family at an early age, she had lived through that fear. But it was when the boat docked, as she looked over the bigger town she was in, and met her new "master" that a new chilling kind of fear coursed through her. In the form of a man named Coriolanus Snow. _

_~A Week to prior events~_

_Annie had woken up from the floor that night. Her whole body ached, and she was sure that she could still taste the blood in her mouth. At 19, a few months away from turning 20, she had been nothing but miserable these past years. She had seemed to have lost all hope, and was simply functioning, not living. Her life had been dedicated to serving Snow and his family, the twisted and vile human beings that they were. It didn't take long for Annie to slowly succumb to loosing her sanity. She was learning to embrace the thought of death. Anything was better than what she was doing to herself now. _

_She'd never really thought of dying, she'd never wanted death so much, until she had begun to work for Snow. It was true, he paid and bought her from the traders, and she had no choice but to work for him. She was beaten and punished whenever Snow himself felt like it had to be done, and he reminded her almost everyday that she was owned by them, a property, a thing. Annie had learned to just nod her head, but her depression was brought together with immense fear, not of Snow, but of his grandson. The vile man named Seymour had looked upon Annie as a prize. All she could see in his eyes were pure lust. The first time it had happened, was the night Annie had wished so badly, that she was dead. _

"_Now, why don't you be a good little girl, and stay quiet." he had her pinned on his bed, that smirk on his face as she trembled in fear. _

"_P-please don't..." Annie ad been crying, and she had begged. But the monster in front of her wouldn't listen. "Please, let me go..." _

_All Seymour did was laugh, as he bent down and whispered "Don't worry, I'll be sure you enjoy it. All you have to do, is shut your mouth and stay pretty." _

_Her eyes had widened and as she could feel him removing her clothing, the only thing that could be heard was Annie's pleading and screaming for him to stop. It was after that night that Seymour took it upon himself to make Annie his new plaything, as he violated her, hit her, and reminded her constantly that she was his, all she could do was slowly loose her mind. It didn't take long for the nightmares to begin, the hallucinations, and the voices in her head to take over, and Annie could only crumble._

_As she rose from her position from the floor, Annie decided that she had enough. She would take the last of her remaining sanity that was left to her, away from this place. So, she ran. She knew that she had bruises covering her body, and the pain only got worse as she ran. She ran through the front door, ignoring the people who stared at her and called her name to ask where she was going. She kept running, and once she was sure no one was following her, she stopped. She looked around her and found that she was unfamiliar with the streets and she had reached town. Annie never got the chance to roam the new town she was taken to when Snow had bought her, as she was tormented and kept on lock down. _

_Annie's anxiety began to kick in, the voices in her head becoming louder. She clutched her head and fell on her knees in the middle of the streets, unknown to the stares she was getting. All she could hear were all the terrifying voices. "Crazy girl". "She should go back to her master". "All you have to do..." _

"_Stop it! Please stop it!" she screamed. And as she felt the pain overtake her body, she couldn't stop the tears that fell from her eyes, as she collapsed and breathed "Please...stop..." _

_Warm and soft. That was the sensation that overtook her when Annie opened her eyes. Then immediately, she shot up and looked around her. Her eyes widened. "Where am I?" She was in a well lit, beautifully decorated room, looking like it belonged to a well off family. _

_Someone then touched her shoulder and by instinct Annie screamed. "No! Please no! Don't hurt me! Please don't hurt me!" Almost immediately, she curled herself in a ball and began to sob. "The voices! Make them stop! Someone please make them stop!" _

_Expecting to be dragged away, she was surprised when she felt arms wrap around her frame. "Hush now child. Everything is fine, you are safe." _

_She slightly turned her head to see a kind looking old woman beside her bed. She reminded Annie of the look that Maysilee had when she was first taken in. Annie slowly began to calm down, but could still hear small voices in her head. "Who are you?" she mustered herself to ask. _

_The old woman smiled slightly "My name is Mags dear. And you are...?" The woman named Mags looked too kind a person to hurt Annie, so she knew that at least for now, she was in safe hands. _

"_Annabel Cresta. Or Annie. I'd like to be called Annie..." she said in a small voice, barely audible. _

_Mags smiled. "Okay then dear. Annie it is. I do hope that you're feeling better." said Mags, as she took a glass of water from the bedside table and handed it to Annie "Here you are dear, have a drink and then I'll arrange for someone to bring something for you to eat." _

_Annie slowly sat up straight and fixed her posture, when she noticed what she was wearing. She wore a comfortable, simple nightdress that reached below her knees. She also noticed bandages in her arms and legs where her bruises had been. She looked over at Mags and then at the glass of water that she was now holding. _

"_Is something wrong dear?" asked Mags concerned. _

"_What...am I doing here?" she asked, still staring at the glass of water she was holding._

_Mags sighed. "I found you lying on the streets when I took a trip to town dear. I saw you there, bruised and battered and I just couldn't leave you there. So I brought you here." she explained. She hoped that Annie would allow herself to feel better first before having to explain everything._

"_Thank you." was all she replied to the kind old lady who had bothered to care for her and not leave her to die. Annie suddenly missed her old home, its been too long. "Miss Mags..." she started. _

_Mags chuckled "Just Mags is fine dear. No need for Miss. Now, what was that Annie?" _

"_I was...I was wondering where "here" is." She looked at Mags. _

"_You're in my home dear. Well, me and my grandson that is." said Mags, and she immediately noticed Annie's expression change and her face pale in the mention of the word "grandson" "He isn't here at the moment though. Went out with his friends and headed to town not long ago."_

"_Oh." with that Annie visibly relaxed. "I'm sorry." _

"_Why are you apologizing Annie? You've done nothing wrong." said Mags softly. She had been wondering for a time what happened to the young girl in front of her. _

"_I...don't know." she stated. And its true, she didn't know why exactly she was apologizing. _

_Mags took the glass of water from Annie and held her hands. "Annie, can you tell me what happened to you? I'd like to know. I want to help you." _

_Again, Mags had reminded Annie of Maysilee. And she knew this woman wouldn't hurt her, so she willed herself to talk, to tell Mags her story. Annie would stop from time to time, daze off, and stare into space. Mags would wait until minutes would pass and Annie would talk again. _

"_And I ran away. I didn't mean to. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Don't hurt me..." As Annie was ending her tale, she was going into hysterics as she remembered how she ended up running away. She began to hear Seymour's voice in her head. _

_Mags immediately held Annie's hand in her own "It's alright Annie, you don't have to tell me any more. It's okay now. You're safe." _

_It took some minutes later, but Annie had calmed down, with Mags holding her as she cried. "Annie, would you like to stay here?" _

_Annie didn't respond, and Mags left her at that. Annie, had needed her rest, she could discuss this some other time. It was the day after, when Annie was better rested, that Mags had spoken to Annie about what she planned to do. Mags no longer pushed the issue of Annie's hysteria the night before instead she was offered a home in the Odair household, which Annie supposed was the name of the family that owned the place, Mags wouldn't take no for an answer. So in turn, Annie compensated,she said she wanted to earn her rights to stay. Which resulted to Mags giving her household tasks which Annie had agreed on._

_End Flashback _

So now, here she was. At the door leading to the room of Mag's grandson. She shivered again before raising her hand to knock. Annie has never met said grandson. After all, she did her very best to avoid him at all costs, and she was doing an amazing job up until today. But she's certainly heard about him. Annie was often asked the past week to go with Mags around their side of town, and many people had mentioned her grandson. The words Annie had more often than naught heard to describe him was that he was handsome, kind, handsome, generous, handsome, every girl's dream, and did she forget to mention handsome?

But this did nothing to assure Annie that she was anywhere near safe when it came to this man. After all, she was still traumatized by her experience with Seymour. She gathered what courage she had left, knocked and opened the door of the room. When she entered, she found it empty, and she was grateful. She quickly placed the food on top of the bedside table and as she was getting ready to leave and run out the room, she heard another door open, which she assumed as the bathroom door, and footsteps follow.

"Who are you?" asked the voice behind her.

Annie willed herself to turn around, and there in front of her was the rumored handsome grandson of Mags. She stared at him as he stared at her. Inside, Annie was panicking, the voices in her head coming back. She needed to get out of the room, she needed to get away.

There in front of her was the all famous Finnick Odair.

**Authors Note: **

**I hope you guys liked it, please tell me what you think. :)) Kindly Review, and I'm open to suggestions :D I'll update soon. I don't have a set number of chapters for this, it all depends on how it all plays out. :)**


	2. Run and Hide

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hunger Games or its Characters.**

**Authors Note:**

**Hello guys! First of all, thank you so much for all the reviews and thoughts. I hope you like this chapter where two other characters join the story :D Just a side note, I normally update weekly, unless something comes up or if I have mental blocks but I'll try my best not to. :)**

**I hope you like it, and kindly Review and tell me what you guys think about it. :) **

**Run and Hide**

Finnick was in awe. It wasn't everyday that he would walk out of his bathroom , just after freshening up and getting dressed for the day, that he would be greeted by a young woman in his room. And it wasn't just any girl. After all, he'd seen his fair share of women around town, but he would never have imagined himself staring intently at any of them. To him, most women in town were the same. They would speak to him, give them their attentions, just because of his status and what he was known as, not for who he truly was. And only his grandmother and closest friends knew, but Finnick was getting tired of it. But this one was different, and Finnick didn't knew why, he simply just knew. He walked forward, shut the door behind him and eventually found himself standing before said girl.

For a moment, he couldn't help but stand mesmerized, her eyes were beautiful and he couldn't stop himself from staring. He noticed that she never did answer his question. He had asked who she was, and when she turned around, as he expected to be greeted, all she did was stand there looking somewhat horrified. And it made Finnick even more curious. To start, who was this girl? How did she get in their home? And what was she doing in his room?

Finnick pulled off his best smile, one he knew would always have people, females especially, swooning. "Hello there. My name's Finnick Odair. And, who might you be?" he asked, remembering to be polite or else he knew his Grandma Mags would have his head.

Annie stared down at the floor, or the bedside, or the wall, anywhere but at Finnick. She heard him of course, and she knew she was probably being rude but she just couldn't find the strength to stare right at him. The rumors were nothing compared to the real thing, one look and Annie knew they were true. The young man in front of her was indeed handsome, even more so in person, she concluded. But still, the voices reminded Annie of what a man could be, thus she refused to be swayed by him, no matter how good looking he may be.

"Is everything alright? Do you feel ill?" Finnick noticed that she was avoiding his eyes, she was avoiding looking at him in general and she had yet to speak a word. This intrigued him, this was definitely a first.

"N-no." Annie managed to mutter out. "I...I brought you...uhm...your food?" it came out more as a question than an actual answer. And she still refused to look at him straight in the eyes.

He looked over to his bedside, and there it was, food just as she promised. "Oh!" Finnick smiled at her and seemed to have come to a realization. "So, you're the one who's been bringing me food every morning then?"

Annie simply nodded her head and said nothing. A few seconds later though, she realized that she didn't apologize to Finnick for being late this morning. Her eyes widened, and the voices in her head grew louder and louder. Would he hit her too? Just like Snow did? "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. So sorry..." she muttered over and over again.

"What for?" Finnick asked confused, and shocked by the sudden change of tone in her voice. "There's really nothing to apologize for. In fact, I should be thanking you."

"Thanking me...?" That statement seemed to have shocked her. Why would he be thanking her? She made a mistake! No one should be thanked for a mistake.

"Yeah." Finnick stated, and he said it with evident gratitude and gave her a softer smile than the one he had on earlier "I mean, I don't live with anyone else in here except grandma Mags and occasionally one or two other house helps. So, you probably did all this on your own. So, thank you. For bringing me food to my room everyday. I only wished you'd have waited for me to wake up so I could thank you properly. Every time I wake up you'd be long gone."

"I'm..." Annie was about to say something close to an apology when Finnick interrupted.

"Please, no more apologizing. I really don't understand why you would. You didn't do anything that you should be apologizing for." he stated.

"Thank you." she muttered. Annie closed her eyes and tried her best to silence the voices in her head. When she opened them, she saw Finnick staring at her again, only this time, with a serious look in his face.

"As much as I do appreciate what you've done for me, I still have no idea who you are." said Finnick. "And I'd like to know."

"That's..." Annie didn't know how she was going to tell Finnick that he didn't have to know anything about her. It was better that way. "not a good...idea...sir."

"Sir?" he looked surprised at being addressed as such. "Why are you calling me..."

He never got to finish his question when Annie suddenly bowed and began to immediately excuse herself. "I have to go." was all she said before she rapidly bolted out the door, but not without sparing Finnick one last glance before she left. She knew it wasn't right, and she'd be sure to apologize to Mags about it later, but right now she was glad to be out of there. Away from the awkwardness, the questions, and away from Finnick Odair.

Finnick stood wide eyed in his room, and at the now closed bedroom door. He blinked once, the twice, and then thrice before he was able to mutter to himself. "Did she just..._run away from me?" _ he asked himself in surprise.

Now, as much as rumors spread, that was all they were to Finnick. Contrary to popular belief, he's never been with that many women, he's certainly never slept with them. He's been on a couple of days out with a select few, but that was it. He knew that his grandma would never forgive him if he soiled himself just for kicks, and he was raised better than that. Even when his parents passed away, he had values that he knew he had to uphold, and sleeping around was not one of them. But still, Finnick knew he was, per say, physically attractive. It didn't take long to get people talking, and he just never bothered to say anything about it because he didn't want to cause a fuss. That, and he didn't really bother himself much with what other people thought about him.

And it was because he knew that he was physically attractive that he's rarely had problems getting women to talk to him. So far, no one's been able to resist his charms, especially not a stranger, and no one's ever done so far as to _run away _from Finnick. So, as he stood there, he began to contemplate on the reasons why she would run from him. Then again, as he thought about it now, Finnick realized that ha also failed to do with this new girl. He never got her name. That was why he began to walk out the door and was going to track her down and find out.

Finnick quickly went over to the kitchen where he thought Annie would be. Currently, no one was around their home. Mags never liked the thought of having too many people around the house, as she liked the peace and quiet. And she believed in learning to get things done on your own and not by asking people to do it for you. So, they had a system in which they would hire specific house help in some days, for cleaning, cooking and sometimes laundry, but they'd be gone by the end of the day. Finnick didn't want to think of the mysterious girl as just another house help that would disappear once the day was done. He shook away the thought and continued to walk towards the kitchen. He passed by the dinning area and then opened the kitchen doors with a bang.

"Now, what in the world brings you here Finnick? And in such a hurry too." Mags turned to look at her grandson and smiled. A teapot at one hand, and a cup in the other.

"Grandma Mags! Have you seen a girl here by any chance? She has brown hair, green eyes and..." Finnick was rambling, and he knew it too, but he was too focused on finding the girl to care.

"Finnick! Is that any way to greet your grandmother, young man?" Mags gave him a look, and then a small smile.

"Oh..." he sighed and smiled. He walked over to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek before taking the pot and cup she was holding. "Morning grandma. Let me carry those for you."

"Good morning dear. Now, that's a much better welcome in the morning don't you think?" Mags said with a smile. She took another cup from the cupboard and began shooing him out of the kitchen with her other hand. "Lets go over and have a nice cup of tea in the gardens. It looks to me like you want to tell me things."

Finnick smiled. "Of course grandma." he followed her, while carrying their things, towards the garden where the gazebo was found at the center, with a round table and four chairs inside. He places the cups and the teapot down. And pulled a chair for Mags to sit on.

"Thank you dear." Mags said with a smile and gestured to the seat in front of her "Have a seat and we'll talk Finnick."

He did as he was told and sat opposite of Mags. Once seated, he took the teapot and poured Mags a cup before pouring one for himself. Finnick smiled and relaxed a little as he smelled the aroma of well made tea. "It smells amazing grandma. Thanks."

"You're more than welcome Finnick. So, I believe you had something that you wanted to discuss with me? And how was breakfast today dear?" she said with a smile, and Finnick noted that she had a small glint in her eyes.

In truth, Finnick had forgotten all about breakfast. He was in such a hurry to look for the girl in his room to have bothered himself with eating. "Actually grandma, did you ask anyone to help around the house today?" asked Finnick, a bit agitated.

Mags shook her head in response. "No dear. I didn't bother, I had...some extra help of my own today." she stated with a smile.

"Extra help?" asked Finnick confused.

"Yes." Mags replied with a small chuckle. "I believe you've met her. She's the one whose been cleaning and cooking recently, and the one to make and deliver breakfast to every morning. I'm surprised this is the first time you've asked about her."

"First time? Should I have met her sooner?" asked Finnick. He was starting to think that he missed out somehow.

"She's been here a week dearie." said Mags with a small smile. A part of her kept remembering how she brought Annie to their home to begin with.

"A week?!" To say that Finnick was surprised was an understatement. "You mean, she's been staying here? With us?"

Mags nodded her head. "I brought her here Finnick, I met her when I went to town."

"Wait, wait. Slow down for a minute grandma. Why am I finding out about this just now? Can we start from the beginning please?" asked Finnick with a sigh.

Mags was about to begin explaining when she saw people approaching from behind Finnick. "Annie dear, there you are. And it seems like you brought Johanna and Cato with you."

Finnick turned his head and true enough, two of his friends and the girl he was lookinf for was standing a few feet behind him. Finnick stood up from his seat and started walking towards Annie, as she stepped away when she realized what was happening, while his friends and grandmother seemed to watch, amused.

"You never answered my question. Is your name Annie then?" asked Finnick, who again didn't fail to notice that she was stepping away.

"I...I'm just..." her head was reeling. She kept looking at Mags to help her calm down but it didn't help as much since Finnick kept moving closer.

"I'm sorry if I frightened you earlier, I just wanted to..." Finnick continues to slowly speak, as Annie suddenly feels her back make contact with the nearest tree. She was cornered, and as he slowly got closer, Annie snapped.

"Stop! Please stop! Don't come any closer!" She exclaims and it shocks Finnick into stopping in his tracks. She suddenly feels the people staring at her, the voices slowly surface and soon she knows she's going to break. "I'm sorry. So sorry." and with that, she walked away before breaking into a run back inside the house.

To say the least, Finnick was again shocked into silence. He blinked a few times before silently walking back to his seat, sitting down and slammed his head down on the table. "What...just happened?" he muttered, enough for the other three people to hear.

"You tell me Odair, what was that all about?" asked Johanna as she sat down after giving Mags a hug.

"Did she just..._run away from you?!" _Cato asked with humor in his voice. He sat own opposite Johanna and looked over at Finnick. "I never thought I'd see the day. A woman running _**away from Finnick Odair.**_"

"Will you stop it?" asked Finnick as he raised his head to give his friend a light glare. "Are you here to antagonize me?"

"Ah, but then again, I live to antagonize you." says Cato with a grin and Finnick groaned.

He heard Johannah laugh and add "You have to admit that he has a point. I never thought anyone would run away from you. Especially not a girl. They all fall for you after all."

"Enough already." sighed Finnick "I just don't understand her. One minute she's alright, the next minute she has a look that says I might attack her."

"She just needs her time to adjust dears." all three of them looked at Mags in surprise. "I know she seems unapproachable, but she's just frightened."

"Frightened? Of what? Finnick?" asked Johanna "That's new. I happen to find this funny. Imagine that, a girl that doesn't want anything to do with you."

"But I didn't even do anything." sighed Finnick "And yet she avoids me like a plague. Why is that?" he asks, more to himself really.

"Maybe she's just that girl that doesn't fall for your charms." said Cato "But its true, she looked so scared she might've fainted earlier. And she didn't look like that when she let Johanna and I inside the house though. So maybe it is your fault eh Finnick?"

Mags sighed. "Perhaps it would be best if I explained then." This caught the attention of all three of them. "As I was saying earlier Finnick dear, that girl's name is Annabel Cresta. I found her on the streets, in a much worse condition mind you, about a week ago. I couldn't just leave her there Finnick, she was so lost I just couldn't."

"Wait, so she was on the streets? Just her? What about her family?" Finnick asked, now fully curious.

Mags shook her head. "I don't know. I asked her about her family, she didn't tell me much. Just that her parents passed when she was young and she was taken into one of the foster homes in their small town."

"So she doesn't come from here either?" asked Cato surprised "Then what in the world was she doing in the streets?"

Mags smiled sadly. "I found her on the streets on the upper side of the town, as I was visiting. She told me her story. She was...the poor dear was sold." she said the last word with a hint of venom in her voice.

"Slave traders." spat Johanna. She hated slave traders, she herself had encountered them when she was younger, as she was sold to a vile man of a master. Difference was, Johanna was able to find her way out much earlier, and found her way to her current home where she met Finnick and Mags. The Odairs had helped her find a home and build her new life, that was one of the reasons she was so close to them. They were the first people who had extended their kindness to her when she was fending for herself.

"Yes, she was taken and sold to Coriolanus Snow." said Mags, just above a whisper. Upon hearing the name, Johanna hissed. Mags looked at her and gave her a sad smile "Yes, the same one that you were sold to Johanna dear."

"That man is a monster." said Johanna with a scowl "He's not humane, neither is his cocky son. Together, it's like going through hell. They worked me to the bone and I was just a kid back then."

"Indeed. The man is as wealthy as he is devious. You may not remember him, seeing as he's never really bothered to shown himself in our side of town dear." Mags stated addressing Finnick and Cato.

"But I sure have heard of him though." stated Cato with a huff. "That man has a reputation. People talk. And they say that his son's had more slaves compared to any of the other higher noblemen."

"He's a man yes, but he is far from noble." stated Mags seriously. "A man like Coriolanus Snow is only a nobleman by title. He is in no means one by action."

"Tsk, he's done nothing but overwork his slaves like animals, its sickening." spat Johanna. "I'm surprised she was able to get away. His work for the slaves could kill."

"If only that was the only extent to how Annie was treated." said Mags.

Finnick blinked and he felt dread at the pit of his stomach. "What do you mean grandma?" he asked. He looked over at Johanna and noticed her eyes darken. Finnick, being born with a stable and very well off family, didn't have to deal with slavery. Mags never liked taking in slaves,she believed in treating people like people and not like animals and it just wasn't in her nature to order people around.

Mags heaved a sigh and continued. "Annie was..._special, _to Snow's son. She was, in a better term, taken advantage of." She watched as the three young adults froze, and she noticed Finnick's hands beginning to ball into fists. "Annie was traumatized. And that is the reason why she's so cautious and afraid to approach you Finnick."

"How old was she?" asked Finnick softly.

"She was sold at the age of 16." said Mags sadly.

"No wonder." stated Johanna "Whatever that vile monster did to her, she's probably lost her sanity."

"I would like to believe that she has still retained that Johanna. She's shown pieces of her old self to me this past week, and she's a kind girl. Loving and cared for others. So I would like to continue to get to know Annie, and hopefully I want to help her." said Mags. "I believe she can heal."

A few minutes of silence later, Finnick stood up and pushed his chair back into its original position. Johanna noted as her friend seemed more occupied all of a sudden, and she couldn't help but ask. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to look for Annie." said Finnick, with a hint of a smile in his voice.

"Oh? And then what?" asked Cato his face surprised. Finnick has never chased after a girl. Ever. So this, was a shock.

As Finnick slowly began to walk towards the direction that Annie ran towards, he couldn't stop the soft smile that crossed his face. A new determination crossed Finnick's face and decided that he was going to help Annie Cresta, and he was going to start by looking for her and apologizing. He looked over at Mags, Johanna and Cato and smiled. He'd start with his first step and then he'd work his way from there. After all, he had no idea where this was going, for now, he just felt the need to help.

"I'm going to be a friend."

**Author's Note: **

**Hey guys, I hope that you liked this chapter! Please review and tell me what you think :) Thanks so much you guys. :D **


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